1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bar code for representing merchandise or other information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in preparing products by cutting a continuous length of tubular or rod-shape work into separate pieces of a predetermined length, it has been a common practice to provide a bar code on each product in the following method.
In one conventional method, labels or the like bearing bar codes are glued to the individual products after cutting.
In another conventional method, a number of bar codes are previously provided on the tubular or rod-shape work at regular distances, and then the tubular or rod-shape work is cut at predetermined positions in such a manner that each separate product has one of the bar codes.
In the former method, each label has to be glued exactly to the predetermined position of the respective product. When automatically reading out the bar codes on the products, it would be impossible to read the bar code if glued off the predetermined position. Attaching the labels to the correct positions of the individual products one after another would result in an increased cost of production.
According to the latter method, highly precious printing and cutting should be necessary. It should be preferable to obtain many products from a single work in an effort to reduce the cost of production, but this would lower the yield as errors accumulate.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 3-3068 shows a method of providing a ring-shape bar code on a tubular or rod-shape article. However, this method also has the same problem as the foregoing methods when cutting a continuous work into product lengths. Further, if there is non-continuity at the joint of opposite ends of a bar code due to slippage when the bar code is glued or printed in a ring shape, an error in reading would occur when scanned this joint section.